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Chambolle-Musigny is a tiny commune in the Cote de Nuits sub-region of Burgundy. It has a population of fewer than 400, but enjoys an historic and widespread reputation for its high-quality wines. The village produces almost exclusively red wines from Pinot Noir. A minute quantity of white wine is also made here, from Chardonnay grapes grown in the prestigious Le Musigny Grand Cru vineyard.

Chambolle, with Vougeot and Vosne in the distance  
© BIVB / ARMELLEPHOTOGRAPHE.COM

Chambolle-Musigny was originally called simply Chambolle, but the name of its prize vineyard was added in 1882 – a fashion of the time followed by twelve villages all along the Cote d'Or (other notable examples include Aloxe-Corton and Puligny-Montrachet). The Musigny vineyard was classified in 1936, the same year in which the communal Chambolle-Musigny appellation was created. The Chambolle part of the name is a bastardization of champ bouillant, meaning 'boiling (or bubbling) field'. This is a reference to the torrents of water which flow down the local slopes after heavy rainfall, when the nearby Grone stream bursts its banks.

The classic Chambolle-Musigny wine is powerful, yet refined and perfumed, characterized by its balance of richness and elegance. Along with Vosne-Romanee and Gevrey-Chambertin, the village is considered to produce some of the finest Pinot Noir wines on earth. The perfume which characterizes the wines has earned Chambolle a reputation as the 'Volnay' of the Cote de Nuits. No white wine is made under the communal appellation, at either village level or Premier Cru level. (© Proprietary Content, Wine-Searcher.)

The climate in Chambolle-Musigny – as throughout the wider Cote d'Or department – is of continental type, with elevated seasonal and diurnal temperature variation helping to establish balanced acids and sugars in the wines. The village of Chambolle-Musigny itself is located on the upper mid-slope of the Cote d'Or escarpment, at an altitude of just under 1000ft (305m). Its vineyards lie immediately to the east, on the slopes below the village, stretching down towards (and almost into) the neighboring village of Vougeot (which sits at 780ft/237m). The lowest and highest of these sites qualify only for the communal appellation, while the better vineyards sit on the fine, well-drained soils of the mid-slope.

Apart from its two Grand Crus (Le Musigny and the majority of Bonnes-Mares), the village has a respectable number of Premier Cru vineyards, whose classification was last reviewed in 1988. Wines from these 24 vineyard sites – or climats – have the right to claim the title Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru.